I'm shopping for camera bags and have simply become overwhelmed with way too many options. What do you guys look for in a bag?

I'm looking for a backpack but cannot afford one right now. The reasons I want a backpack is that it leaves hands free to hold the camera and onto other things, it holds a tripod plus a bunch of stuff like lenses, lunch and water bottles. Plus you can get ones that hold laptops if your that way inclined.

Right now the camera bag I have a Lowepro Nova 3 (or 4?) will not hold all my stuff, I can't close the zipper. It is quite a big bag but not big enough for a 10D with 3 lenses and filters and cables and grey cards and stuff.

I'm also finding right now that after a while the bag is really heavy on my shoulder if I'm walking or hiking and really limits how far I can walk with all that stuff.

If your going out with kids then a backpack would probably be ideal.

I would recommend either a Lowepro or Tamrac bag or pack and try E-Bay as you can find some pretty good prices on new bags/packs there.

Both the Tamrac and Lowepro bags have a system where you can attach things like a water bottle holder and other small bags to the pack/bag. Only certain bags support these systems though.

www.tamrac.com

www.lowepro.com


:)

Who's the best?
Freaky!
I said, who's the best?
Freaky!
Go! Go! Go Freaky!



Thanks, you are always a big help.

*grabs some pom pom's and starts cheering with alda*

but i'm not putting on the outfit..that would just be inhumane.

I have a bag that looks like your freakyclean, but I think mine is a little smaller. Fits all my stuff. plus a little more. It's quite nice, specially when going on vacation or away and you need everything with you. But I want one of these too (birthday coming up, will ask for this :D *evil grin*) -> http://www.cyberphoto.se/index.php?http://www.cyberphoto.se/info.php?article=eh-16l (costs $74,09)

When I worked in an outdoor outfitters shop in London, I had a good look at a variety of bags that we sold.
I must say that Lowepro has a many options and are good hardy bags, that can take a beating. The Nova range that Freaky refers to is favoured by many.
Tamrac is fine as well, but seem to me a little bit flimsy in the design compared to lowepro. Purely just an observation and not experience. :)

I'm looking at this pack http://www.tamrac.com/5275.htm when.

I have found it in the past for around $80us on E-Bay (new). It holds a tripod upright on the back, and you can get a waterproof raincover for it. It also takes the accessory pouches I talked about.

It will hold both my cameras in a pinch and my digital ones and all the accessories easily.

oh talk about a sexy bag :D, Will need one of those later on, when climbing mountains or something.